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aoble paltry puppets, that had been exhibited before

me.

Wor. Were you obliged to be long absent on this errand?

Lov. Sir, my uncle kept me above three months in suspense; still making some frivolous excuse to delay his coming. And O! what tricks and proects to accomplish their designs of preventing our union First, the letter-carrier, unknown to the postmaster, was bribed to bring all letters which passed between my dear Ann and myself, to my uncle or my mother, and these were opened and secreted from each of us.

One letter she was allowed to receive, written as by my direction, though not in my hand, stating that I had employed one of my comrades in wickedness, to correspond with one Mary Coleman, a common strumpet, engaging to give her twenty pounds a year for the maintenance of a bastard, they feigned I had by her, as I was under the necessity to marry Lady Georgiana Gambleton, from family circumstances; but still that my occasional visits should not be wanting; and this letter was supposed to have beer mis-sent and intercepted, and then conveyed into the hands of that good little woman, that it might be the cause of breaking off the match, or of breaking her heart; and indeed it had nearly accomplished the design. Nobody can tell the distracted state of mind she was immediately thrown into, and in which sho continued, till the fraud was detected; and the contrary surprise of joy, when the plot was discovered, was not less trying to her tender feelings, than the deep grief she had before sustained.

Wor. What an infernal plan was this, to ruin the peace of both your minds! But could Mrs. Lovely for a moment believe all this?

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Lov. Sir, she knew not what to believe, the plot was so plausibly laid. Her nights were sleepless, and her mind was almost distracted. First, she could not account for my apparent neglect, as our letters

were intercepted: and then my mother, being deep in the stratagem, was directed to tell my dear Ann, that she had from my authority to inform her, that our connexion could not take place, as circumstances were so altered since I first became acquainted with her; and that still a large recompense for her disappointment would be at her disposal, when she chose to accept it. And these accumulated circumstances, at once threw her on a bed of sickness, from which it was expected she would never recover.

Wor. Indeed, if she believed half the stratagem, replete with such dissimulation and craft, no wonder that she should be completely overset by the apparent cruelty of your conduct. But how could they suppose, that a plan of this sort should not very speedily have been discovered.

Lov. Sir, it seems they had other steps to pursue, that their tricks and projects might not be disclosed. During my residence in Ireland, a reverend gentleman was to be sent after me, known by the name of Dr. Cringer, who was to take me out of the way for several months, by conducting me the tour of Europe, and to make me the accomplished gentleman, by teaching me some of the modern European languages. This gentleman was one of Lord Gambleton's chaplains, and possessed a living in his gift; and since then, I have discovered him to be the most contemptible sycophant, and the meanest toadeater to his lordship, that ever existed. However, this plot discovered itself before it was fully accomplished.

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Wor. I should be happy to hear how this took place.

Lov. Sir, while my dearest Ann was lying, as it was supposed, on her death-bed, her father wrote to my father, to know what could be the cause of all these strange circumstances: and why he should suffer the loss of such an invaluable danghter, by a conduct so treacherous and unjust in me? Immediately both our parents met on the occasion; it would require

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some hours to tell you the pains they took to investigate the stratagem; but yet how speedily they transmitted to me the discoveries they had made!

Wor. You must have been considerably struck at this discovery.

Lov. Struck Sir! nobody can tell what I felt under the idea, that the affectionate and generous heart of that excellent creature, was ready to break through my supposed treachery, while I loved her inexpressibly, and was so fully determined to be faithful to my vows.

Wor. But I should hope Sir, your perplexities soon terminated with the discovery of these different plots.

Lov. Sir, I made not a moment's hesitation to travel directly from Ireland to Mr. Commerce's; and, though I took all possible care that matters might be so broken to my dear Ann, as that she might not be too much overcome by the news of my arrival, and by the consideration of the events, which made me take the journey; yet O Sir what a meeting it was! Her tender and affectionate frame was so overpowered, especially during the first interview, as that no words can sufficiently express what she, and indeed, all of us felt: we wept, and sobbed, and thus sympathized with each other for some time, before a single word could be spoken on either side. At length our affectionate parents retired from the room, and when they returned, they informed us, that they had both entered into a firm resolution, that in order to put an end to all those detestable tricks and cabals, we should never again separate from each other, till our marriage had actually taken place, for that they cared nothing for all events and consequences about large estates, and noble blood, as they were determined to make us both happy, by an immediate union. All this was kept an entire secret from my mother and uncle; and as soon as my dear Ann was sufficiently recovered to be conveyed to Church, we were married accordingly; and O Sir!

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the tears of sympathy, of mutual affection and joy, on that occasion, will never be forgotten!

Wor. But I suppose, this must have given considerable offence to your uncle.

Lov. Sir, I did all in my power to soften matters, but in vain; for immediately after marriage, I re. turned to the post at which my uncle had stationed me in Ireland; and though I had found that the worthless lawyer he sent with me, had informed him of my elopement, yet as he could only guess at the cause, I had to reveal the event to my uncle by letter. This I did with as much tenderness and respect as circumstances would admit, assuring him, that if I had displeased him by taking this step, yet that, in every other point of view, I wished to appear respectful, obedient, and attentive to his commands; but that I most humbly requested him, if he still meant me as his heir, that he would dispense with the European tour, at least, for the present; as duty and affection strongly called me to attend upon the excellent young woman who was now become my wife, and who pos sessed every possible qualification to render herself a most highly respected character, in every situation of life she might be called to fill.

Wor. You should have added, excepting that of noble blood. But how did your uncle receive this letter?

Lov. Sir, his rage was inexpressible. He wrote me a few lines, filled with oaths, for my folly; charging me to leave his house in Ireland directly; and to undertake the office I held at my father's brewery, as that was the most fit for me and the shopkeeper's girl, I had presumed to marry against his

consent.

Wor. Well Sir, after all, it cannot be said you have lost what you never had, though the sacrifice you have made, of what you had in reversion, was very great; but still, you have gained the greatest dvantage in your character and conscience, and an excellent wife into the bargain.

Lov. O Sir! I have a full compensation for all my losses and troubles; though she had not the supposed advantages of the politer style of education of the day, yet having a very strong and retentive mind, by her own diligence and attention, she has provided for herself a fund of knowledge above most of her sex. She is exceedingly well read in history, and even in some branches of philosophy, especially in astronomy. The languages have, by no means, escaped her notice: she is a perfect mistress of the English, and writes an admirable letter; and all this knowledge she acquired by her own industry, in the midst of the hurry and bustle of the domestic concerns of a large family, to which she always gave the utmost attention; at one time very diligent as her father's scribe, and at another time not less attentive to fill an active station, even behind the counter, when needed.

Wor. After such real accomplishments as thesc, you had no great cause to lament the loss of what is called a politer education. Had she been one of those poor, paltry, affected, ignorant, conceited misses, turned out of too many of our modern boardingschools, the loss of such a flimsy bit of nonsense in female shape, might have easily been repaired.

Lov. Yes Sir, but to me it appears as though the world could not produce her equal: she is one, of such an obliging mind and temper, that she never is happy, but as she can make others happy; while she is blessed with a disposition the most serene, affectionate and kind. If I can but preserve her life, I think I shall be the happiest man upon the earth. [Lovely weeps.]

Wor. Well Sir, as the principal cause of per plexity exists no longer, let us hope that her health will not only soon be restored; but that the rage of your uncle will, after a while subside, notwithstanding he has been disappointed in his projects. "The hearts of all are in the hands of God.'

Lov. Sir, these things are nothing to me: I pos

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